Take Me Over
by Sakura Camui
Summary: A 100 prompt challenge focusing on all the different facets of love. I chose ZADR. Slash/ZADR! Don't like, don't read.
1. crushcrushcrush

**A/N**: _This is a collection of prompts I'm doing for a community on LiveJournal. I thought I'd upload them here as well. Oh fun. Enjoy~!_

**A/N #2**_: This prompt is slightly AU, based upon my fic "Hear You Me."  
_

**001. beginnings**

Dib's eyes fluttered open and he blinked a few times before they at least adjusted to the dim lighting of the room. He looked over slowly, still not being able to move too much and saw the warm Irken sleeping by his side. Zim's arm was around his stomach, his fingers grasping tightly and protectively onto the boy's shirt. His gaze drifted to the clock sleepily to check the time and then drifted back to the slumbering Irken. It was at least 4am and for whatever reason, no one on the hospital staff had come in and thrown Zim out, like he expected them to do in the middle of the night.

Here he was, sleeping side by side with his enemy, with the person who technically was the reason for him lying in the hospital bed he was in. The reason for him not being able to move, to have to relearn so many basic things again. But the Irken was also the reason his father was changing, was also the reason Gaz was becoming his friend, his true sister ... and not just another enemy he shared a home with.

His chest ached and his stomach churned as his thoughts continued. And Zim was also the reason that he was starting to think about things he'd never thought of before. Ever. Like love, and what that meant.

And what it meant to have someone actually love you ... and enough so that they came to see you every day, that they completely changed their routine to revolve around you, and you alone. His green-skinned 'enemy' had done that and more. He still had problems fathoming exactly what that meant to him. All he knew was that it made him feel something he hadn't before. And it scared him even more that he liked that feeling, even just the tiniest bit.

Zim turned towards him a little more suddenly, snuggling very gently against his shoulder, murmuring in his sleep.

".. love you ... Dib ..."

Dib choked back what he pretended were definitely not tears this time in his throat and leaned down to kiss Zim's forehead before he could change his mind.

"Thanks, Zim."

He knew that everything was really going to change after this night; and that it was definitely the beginning of something he couldn't quite define ... or didn't want to.


	2. Our Planet

**A/N**: _This is slightly AU, based upon my fic "Hear You Me"._

**038. threesome**

Zim elbowed Gaz so her grip on her video game controller slipped.

"ZIM! YOU SUCK!" she grumbled.

Dib watched in slight annoyance from the sofa where he sat reading. He turned a page in his book. "I wonder how I can get any of my schoolwork done with you two always arguing over video games in the living room."

"You're smart, you can do it -- GAZ! SERIOUSLY!"

"That's what you get!" she snickered to herself.

Zim grumbled as he waited for the game to respawn his character. "Besides that, that assignment isn't even due for another week."

"You haven't looked at it yet, have you?"

"What? Oh like I have to. You know that my mind is still way ahead of ---"

"Not mine."

Zim glanced back, allowing Gaz to mercilessly kill him again. "Not yours, I wasn't going to say YOURS, I mean your Earth school system."

Dib gritted his teeth slightly. "It's _your_ planet now too, remember?"

The purple-haired girl actually looked away from the game to stare at the two. "Uh .. oh ..."

The Irken dropped his controller to the table and came over to stand in front of Dib. "What's your problem today?"

"Nothing! It's just sometimes, I get sick of you always talking about how superior you are to us. I thought you had changed, Zim."

"That's not fair, Dib, that's fucking low of you to even say it like that."

Gaz facepalmed at this moment. Dib and Zim had stopped their everyday battles since they became a couple, of course, but when they did have a fight, boy was it a huge deal. "You guys ..."

"It's the truth, deal with it, alright?" Dib exploded, glaring at his boyfriend.

"Yes, well it's also the truth that Irkens are superior to humans, and I've lived longer than all of you."

"Hurrah, what do you want, a medal or something?"

"You guys, chill the hell out." Gaz said, without needing to raise her voice hardly at all.

Zim clenched his fist and unclenched it, taking a deep breath. He let it out with a sigh and sat next to the boy on the sofa. "Gaz, could you please excuse us for a little bit?"

"Fine. But if I hear any more of your nonsense, I'm coming back in here to destroy you both." She disappeared into the kitchen.

The Irken took Dib's hand and the boy tried to pull it away but Zim held it tight. "What's really the problem?"

"I told you."

"Do you think that I'd actually believe that lie? I've known you too long."

Dib sighed and shifted to look at Zim. "You do still sometimes treat everyone like we really are inferior to you. We're not. Technologically speaking, maybe yes, but seriously, it's not fair."

"I don't --- I don't really treat _you_ that way, do I?"

"Not me as much as you do to say Gaz, or some of our friends at skool."

"You know I don't mean it. I just .. slip sometimes. Really .. I'm sorry."

"It's -- alright, I know. I'm sorry for getting upset for no real reason. I'm just a little stressed out still from the start of skool."

"I do understand. I talk big, Dib-thing, but I really don't get some of the more human aspects of skool sometimes. I'm glad I have you to help me out."

Dib squeezed his boyfriend's hand. "You always will." He leaned forward to kiss the Irken lightly.

Gaz strolled back in from the kitchen. "Alright, good. You two made up. Now, Zim still owes me some more rounds of video games, so c'mon! You can do your smootchy lovey-dovey thing later."

Zim shook his head. "Insistent always, aren't you, Gaz?"

"Just pick up the controller before I throw it at your green face." she grinned at him.

Zim passed a controller to Dib as well. "Play too."

"Alright. But homework then, okay?"

"Of course." Zim leaned over and kissed him quick before the game started.

Gaz smiled. She was glad that everything had actually changed. And she was also glad her brother and his boyfriend managed to go out of their way to make sure she really didn't feel like the third wheel when they spent time together.

And besides that, she was always happy to kill them both at video games.


	3. Pain, Make Your Way To Me

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, set after the series._

**065. anniversaries**

Dib climbed up to roof, taking each step slow. He really didn't want to go up, but he felt he had to. Just .. just because he didn't want to forget. He didn't ever want to forget. He reached the top and settled in his usual spot, his closed laptop in front of him. He didn't even bother putting his headphones on, they simply rested around his neck. He sat in a crunched up position, his arms around his knees. His gaze easily drifted to the sky and the endless amount of stars he still managed to see even with so much light pollution from the city in the not too far distance. He tilted his head back.

A couple of years ago, something had occurred. Something he never imagined would.

He fell in love.

And he fell for the most unlikely creature imaginable. The stupid green alien he had been chasing for three years prior. He swallowed hard. How could he have been so stupid? He reflected on how interest became obsession, obsession morphed into a hesitant relationship with the Irken and for his part, it melted completely into nothing more then pure hopeless devotion. No body can pick who they fall for, it just happens. And he just _had_ to fall for his enemy, didn't he? Stupid, completely unintelligent.

Even more dumb of him that he got the guts to tell Zim. Of course the Irken would never feel the same way back. He was only interested in conquering the planet. The day Dib admitted that, his entire existence changed. Suddenly, Zim seemed to be less interested in anything that was involved with the human boy. He stopped going to Skool. He even somehow managed to avoid Dib.

And one day, it finally happened. Dib went to see Zim to find out exactly what was happening and found nothing. Absolutely nothing. The spot where Zim's base was had become nothing more then an empty lot again. Zim had left him and returned to space, most likely. Dib found a scrap of paper in the dirt and grass patches that were left behind once the Irken was gone. In scribbled, loopy handwriting, all the crumpled up notebook paper said was '_bye dib-thing_.'

And still, every year on that day, the day that Zim left, Dib climbed to his roof to look at the sky.

Sighing and stretching his cramped legs, he watched a small bright light fly across the sky slowly. The boy could only hope every year, maybe, just maybe if he was lucky, one of these times, it would be Zim finally returning.

Dib felt empty and useless without his Irken. Life wasn't much of anything.

All he could do was sit and wait.


	4. If It Burns You, Let It Go

**A/N**: _Slighty AU, set after the series._

**012. strangers  
**

Across the schoolyard, Zim watched the human boy, the boy whom his world used to revolve around. It was hard to admit to for awhile, but after everything that had happened, he gave up on that. Dib was currently busy reading a book about werewolves. Keef was sitting next to the Irken, keeping their arms linked as he rambled on about nothing in general. Zim sighed to himself. Life could be different, if he hadn't been scared. Yes him, scared. It was all too late now.

He had screwed it all up.

The two enemies had been chasing each other for long, too long. Long enough that where there was once hate, there became a rough-edged friendship. And Zim didn't know, at first, the human boy had slowly but surely fallen in love with him. The Irken didn't know what to do about it. This emotion thing the humans did, it confused him, it infuriated him at times. Relationships still weren't his thing even after he and Dib had reached a sort of pact to stop fighting.

He hadn't ever really seen the dark side of the emotion spectrum until he watched his never-failing, always brave Dib turn into nothing more then an empty shell. Zim had always seen humans as stupid morons that didn't accomplish anything of value. They were filthy idiots. He honestly didn't know what Dib meant by '_love_' and why this love thing had changed him so much. It scared him, though, the power it had over the one person he imagined would be there always, even at a short distance. It scared him enough that he didn't want to see it anymore.

Zim developed a complicated plot to change everything. It didn't even take too long and wasn't that hard with the kind of technology he had available to him. Pretty much overnight, Dib went back to normal, or whatever normal was for him. He kidnapped Dib in the night, and kept him asleep. He took him back to his base and erased all of Dib's memories that had to do with himself. The Irken even made sure that Dib wouldn't notice him as an alien any more. That Zim would be nothing but another annoying classmate that didn't respect him. He wanted to make sure Dib could never be crushed by this love emotion again. He even went so far as to bring Keef back into his own life. He wanted Keef to be his 'boyfriend' to further discourage any of Dib's affections that may return. Of course Keef agreed, he was ready to do anything for his 'bestest friend.'

Now, his life was meaningless and boring. He had to listen to Keef all day, almost every day, and Dib was like a stranger. He was still into paranormal things but as Zim had worked it out, he didn't notice the Irken anymore. And it was now that Zim felt he had made the biggest mistake of his life. He realized now what love had done to Dib and why Dib became so lost.

As fate would have it, now he knew what love was too.


	5. You & Me

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, based upon my fic "Hear You Me."_

**016. simple**

The sun was rising higher in the sky, and the temperature rose, but Zim and Dib were sitting in the shade and didn't care much. Dib's eyes felt kind of heavy as he leaned closer to his Irken boyfriend. Zim smiled slightly as he felt Dib's body move towards his but he didn't look up from the book he was reading. The boy grabbed Zim's hand and the Irken balanced his book against his knees to keep it steady. They didn't need to speak. Being close was good enough for the both of them. Dib peeked through his half-lidded eyes and studied Zim's face as his thoughts ran in different directions. The warm summer day was making him sleepy.

It almost amused Dib in a twisted way that if he went back four years and told himself where he'd be, there's no way he'd ever believe it. His eyes drifted over to the way the sunlight streamed through the leaves to the ground around them, then to Zim's legs and up the rest of the Irken's body. He watched his boyfriend's eyes skim the pages of his book quickly. Sometimes, he had to admit, he liked seeing Zim's actual beautiful ruby-colored eyes as opposed to when he had to hide them behind contacts when they were in public. He laughed occasionally, in spite of himself, at the way he used to think Zim was ugly, and tell him so. On the contrary, he thought his boyfriend was more then handsome and one of his favorite features was the light green color that was Zim's skin tone. He yawned a little and blinked, still feeling like he was drifting off as he thought of how smooth the Irken's skin was. His thoughts may have drifted into more dangerous territory if he hadn't been so close to sleep in that moment. Instead he snuggled up to Zim and squeezed his hand tightly.

And thought about how his favorite thing in the world was a very simple thing. He just loved being with Zim most of all.


	6. In Love With The Summertime

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, as usual._

**063. summer**

Zim warily eyed the lemonade that Dib sat down in front of him. The boy took his own seat with a sigh, brushing his forehead off with the back of his hand.

"It's way too hot out here."

"Mmmhmm. What is this again?"

"Gaz made it, it's just lemonade."

"Where is she anyway?"

"You know, inside with her video games. In the air conditioning. Unlike us, still out here doing our stupid end-of-the-year school project."

The Irken poked his glass with one outstretched green finger, letting it's pointed edge run down the wet side. Finally he picked it up and took a small sip. "It's a little, erm ... bitter, I think is the word."

"It's supposed to be, I guess. Especially cause Gaz made it, haha."

"That's not funny!" came a voice from the kitchen window.

"Sorry!"

"You better be before I come out there and kill you."

"Seriously, I am!"

"Good."

Zim snickered to himself as he took another sip, sitting crosslegged now in his chair. "What was this season's name again, Dib-thing?"

"Summer, Zim, it's called Summer. I don't really like it much." Dib was more of a cold-weather type person.

The Irken leaned on the table now, his chin against his folded arms as he silently surveyed the green grass, the quickly growing flowers, the trees full of leaves, and sighed happily as a short breeze blew through the yard and across his face.

"I don't like the heat much myself, but ..." Zim smiled as he tilted his head to look at his boyfriend. "I do love this 'Summer' alot."


	7. Handyman

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, as usual._

**072. fixed**

Dib didn't realize it, but he had drifted off to sleep. He half-opened one eye and looked over near his bed, where his computer was. His Irken boyfriend was still there, attempting to screw in one last screw to his tower before booting it up.

Rubbing his eyes, the boy sat up. "Everything going okay, Zim?"

"Mmmhmmm. Your human technology is very primitive compared to the things I need to repair at home. But I will admit that sometimes the variances in our devices confused me, yet I think I managed to figure out what was wrong."

"Well I know the main problem came from Gaz putting her foot practically through the computer when she got mad at one of my games, but ugh, you think it will live? I have so many files on there that are important."

"We shall see, but I am confident in my abilities." Zim waited until the log-in screen came up and logged into Dib's name, knowing his password as his boyfriend had trusted him enough to tell him it awhile beforehand. Dib came and stood behind the chair, resting his hands on the Irken's shoulders.

Zim clicked into a few files, checked the system's status and looked to see that the network was up and running before tilting his head back to smile up at the human boy. "All fixed."

"Thank you, Zim." Dib leaned down to kiss his boyfriend gently. "What would I do without you?"

The Irken's expression softened even more. "No Dib, the question is, what would I do without _you_?"

"I guess we're both good at fixing things, then." The boy grinned and squeezed Zim's hand tightly before joining their lips again.


	8. Someone Like You

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, based from my fic "Hear You Me"; but can be enjoyed regardless of having been read. Also, sorry for how cheesy it is. :|_

**022. touch**

A feather-light touch from Zim's finger drifted lazily up Dib's arm. The Irken's rough, strange tongue lapped into a spot where his neck met his shoulder, a spot only Zim knew about it. That one little touch that drove him insane. The boy bit down on his lip hard. The tip of Zim's pointed finger dug ever-so-gently down across his arm now. Dib snagged a handful of Zim's hoodie, gasping slightly and shifting his neck to the side to actually let the Irken get to the spot better. The human boy tugged down hard on the jacket, squirming underneath his boyfriend. He grasped in vain for the zipper, but Zim paused for what seemed to be a few milliseconds to push his hoodie and shirt off together and drop it to the floor.

Just as quickly, the Irken resumed his painstakingly careful attention to Dib's neck. He murmured softly under his breath as well though as Dib's fingers slid down his chest, across his skin gently. It felt almost soft and a little fuzzy to the touch. It was a nice feeling. Dib brushed his hands upward then and brought them up to Zim's face to pull his boyfriend into a kiss instead. He breathlessly pulled back, after a short time, looking up into Zim's half-open eyes.

"I love you more then anything, my Irken menace."

Zim grinned happily, his eyes still not fully open. "And I you, my Dib-worm."

As their lips touched again, Dib fleetingly reflected on all he might have missed had Zim not touched his life.


	9. Can You Keep It?

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, as usual._

**036. secrets**

Dib didn't really realize he had stopped paying attention to Miss Bitters for about 15 minutes straight --- but then again she was off on one of her ramblings about doom and the end of the world and probably hadn't noticed anyway. He also tried not to pretend that he was spending that time daydreaming about the alien boy three desks over.

'_I'm safe in my mind ..._' he thought. '_No one will know._' As he drifted off in his deep thoughts, he didn't notice his pencil mindlessly scribbling over his notebook page. Now and then he was busy, leaning back in his chair, trying to catch a glimpse of Zim. Every once in awhile, Zim actually noticed and glared at him. Instead of glaring back, as he once would have done, Dib instead just adverted his gaze quickly away and pretended he hadn't been staring. He was honestly acting like a little girl with a crush ... the thought ran though his mind quickly and he fiercely denied it to himself -- well momentarily anyway.

He was acting like a girl with a crush, it was almost pathetic. He insisted to himself, it wasn't a crush, just immense fascination, obsession perhaps, but crush, oh no way. His eyes drifted back down to his notebook and he noticed what he had been scribbling for the past few minutes. It was just a doodle, a bad one really, a picture of him and Zim --- _kissing_ ... The bell rang without him noticing, as he mumbled to himself about how exactly this could be and when and where and WHY did he fall for ---

Dib was suddenly aware of eyes upon him. He looked up and saw Zim approaching his desk rapidly. Blushing a very bright shade of pink, he ripped the notebook paper out of his binder and crumpled it up quickly.

"Another plan on how to capture me for your weird human experiments, Dib-worm?"

"Wouldn't you like to know? You dumb ... green ... alien." The boy's enthusiasm wavered at the end of the sentence.

Zim looked at him a bit puzzled but just shook his head. "Right then. Of course, you know you'll never catch me. You still haven't."

"One day, I will, Zim, you can bet on it!"

"Sure, okay, Dib." The Irken waved behind his head in a gesture of sarcastic acceptance and marched out the door.

Looking at the crumpled up paper in his hand, Dib realized this secret was going to keep eating away at him.

"I will get you someday Zim ... but not in the way you think."


	10. Transmission

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, as usual. And please work with me here, I don't describe Zim's anatomy in detail, but let's just say there's something there. ;D Creative liberties. Hahaha._

**039. kink**

They really only did this once in awhile ... After all, they lived pretty close and could see each other easily. But sometimes this just seemed more fun. Zim grinned to himself, crossing his arms and sitting back in his chair.

"C'mon, Dib, it's not like anyone else is watching."

"Still, Zim .. " Dib's voice came through the computer loud and clear.

"It's not like it's the first time." Zim teased.

"Yeah, well, whatever, you take off something first."

"Fine, I don't care." The Irken slipped off his shirt and tossed it aside easily.

The boy bit his lip, watching his boyfriend. He was on his computer in his room. Zim had talked him into this awhile back, setting up the cameras and everything. He acted shy about it but in reality, he knew he liked it more than he let on. Blushing anyway, Dib took off his own shirt as well. The Irken licked his lips and Dib's thoughts drifted to kissing his boyfriend, to running his hands down Zim's soft skin. His breath quickened a little as he watched the screen. Zim already was slowly and tantalizingly taking off the rest of his clothing, letting each peice fall from his hand to the floor. Dib's slid his own hand downward to push off the pajama pants he was in.

"Nnn ... ready, Dib-thing?" Zim's hands were resting on the lower part of his abdomen, his feet already braced up on his console, giving Dib a very interesting view.

"Y-yes .." the boy murmured, already moving his hand downward. He started slowly, gasps escaping as he moved his hand. He struggled to keep his eyes open, staring intently at his boyfriend on the monitor. It really wasn't too hard to not like what they were doing. It actually really satisfied his egotistical core that Zim was doing this for him, and only him. Dib's name escaped the Irken's lips, and his own pace grew quicker. He noticed Zim's eyes were mostly half closed too. He loved the expression Zim made when they did this. It was like a complete surrender of all his pride and emotions. He loved feeling like he owned the person on the other side of that screen. Even though he was hesitant about doing it at first, this was really the main reason that it was his kink.

"Mmn -- Zim .." Dib's eyes shut. He didn't need the visual to continue at all. Zim's own moans and gasps were really enough. Although he did like this alot, he still thought of how he'd really rather have the Irken's hand around him at this point. His voice grew as he reached the end, as did Zim's. Moaning gently, he began to come down from his high, opening his eyes again. Zim smiled at him from the monitor, his breath coming out in short bursts.

"So, Zim, any chance I could come over tomorrow and do that for real?" Dib questioned, teasingly.

"If you don't, I'll have to come there and take you over myself." The Irken answered.


	11. Pride

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, based from my fic "Hear You Me"; but can be enjoyed regardless of having been read._

**085. them**

Zim didn't really like to talk about it. Mainly not in front of Dib because he got upset over it. And he hated seeing his boyfriend upset. All in all, it didn't bother the Irken as much as it bothered Dib. Zim didn't care about the stupid humans and their misconceptions about mates. After all, the leaders of Irk were both male, and it really wasn't uncommon or frowned upon on his planet to choose a member of the same sex to spend the rest of your life with. He never had any qualms about his Dib-thing being male, whatsoever. Anyway, the real issue was even though they attended an alternative skool, he knew there were still other students there that apparently had a problem with Dib and Zim's very open relationship.

Dib had been surprised when Zim had kissed him in front of his locker on the first day of school. The Irken got confused when Dib started blushing and got upset and flustered about the situation. It took him awhile to fully understand homophobia and what it meant on Earth. He knew the people of the planet were backwards compared to his people in so many ways, but he didn't fully comprehend how backwards until he saw it first-hand. Usually, Dib and Zim hung out with a small group of people, and no one really tried to bother them when they were all together. But unfortunately one time Zim had told Dib to go home without him, as he wanted to stay to finish a painting he had been working on in art class.

The Irken didn't return to his house for a long time and Dib was starting to worry. And for good reason. When Zim finally arrived, he had a black eye and blood was dripping down his face out of the corner of his mouth. His clothes were ripped and dirty. He came in and collapsed on the sofa, trying to catch his breath, and didn't say anything while the boy ran around trying to patch him up.

As Dib was placing a final bandage on a cut above one of Zim's eyes, the Irken grabbed his hands gently and kissed his distraught boyfriend.

"I don't care what anyone says, Dib-thing. You belong to me and I to you. It shouldn't matter that we're both male, it doesn't even make any sense why people hate it so much. So much so that they even attacked me because I _love_ you and aren't afraid to show it. I won't be scared and I won't hide. I've been through worse."

The boy simply nodded, his eyes filled with tears. Zim was right. They shouldn't have to hide, and they should be able to live without fear.

The next day, Zim went to school even with his bruises and injuries. He walked in and through all the halls proudly hand in hand with Dib. They both wore something that was rainbow colored. Their friends joined them shortly after, also wearing rainbow colored things.

They were going to fight back.


	12. A Waiting Game

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, based from my fic "Hear You Me"; but can be enjoyed regardless of having been read._

**089. work**_  
_

Zim yawned, putting his book down in his lap and looking over to the hospital bed nearby. Dib was still sleeping peacefully. The human boy still wasn't talking to him. Not since Zim had kissed him. Still, every day the Irken showed up at the hospital anyway. He'd talk to Dib about anything and everything and still Dib said nothing to him. He barely even looked in Zim's direction unless it was to glare or shake his head.

Sometimes, when Dib was asleep, Zim sat and really thought about why he was there. He hadn't ever felt like this before, not for anyone or anything. His entire life had changed, so quickly too. Things never really could turn out the way anyone planned. He hadn't expected this nor thought it would ever happen in a million years. And yet here he was. Waiting for the day that his former enemy would accept the message he was trying to send.

He could just give up and leave. Sometimes he felt lonely, sometimes he felt like it was all pointless. And that Dib would never understand what had happened, why Zim was different, why Zim loved him. But it wasn't just that simple. He couldn't leave even if he wanted and he knew it. Something stronger was keeping him here. And he knew he wasn't going to give up.

Loving Dib was hard work ... but he was worth it.


	13. Spiderwebs

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, as usual. Set after the series._

**045. truth**

It's easy to lie. And in general, people like to take the easy way out. I mean, it's kind of pointless and redundant to do something hard when you can do it the easy way, right? But yet, the easy way isn't always the right way. And it doesn't make lying any better. In the end, it just makes the truth harder to tell.

Zim logically knew all this but still he lied to himself every day. It was easier. He could pretend away all the weird feelings beginning to surface inside him, pretend away the reactions his body had when Dib got close to him, he could just pretend away the human boy's emotions as well. It was too complicated for an Invader to have or bother with any silly notions of romance. He needed to focus on his mission at hand. Even if Dib was something called a "friend" now, it was too dangerous to get any more involved. He was already in too deep.

So yet, as time dragged on, Zim kept up his numerous lies. Dib didn't have to know about the continuous, endless daydreams he had, and of course Dib most definitely did not need know about what the Irken did when he was completely alone in his control room, accompanied only by the hours upon hours of footage of the boy he had archived. Lies were becoming Zim's only friend as he fell deeper and deeper into his own web of denial.

He had almost gotten used to it, spending each day pretending he wasn't hopelessly obsessed with Dib. He had been obsessed with Dib for years, it wasn't like it was very different ... not really. He tried to convince himself it had always been the same thing but it was just another lie invented up to assure himself that there was nothing romantic in his intentions, just perhaps a physical attraction and maybe the whole friendship thing confused him a bit--- but in no way shape or form was he in lo---

Zim had been mumbling these ideas to himself as he was walking home from skool, and right in the middle of a thought he looked up and saw Dib waiting by his front door, staring sadly at one of the gnomes as sat on the stoop.

"Hey, Dib-thing, what's up?" Zim asked, a bit unsure of why the boy was there.

"Zim, we really need to talk about something." Dib chewed nervously on his lip, and kept dropping his gaze to the ground.

"Uh .. well okay, come in then, I guess." the Irken went inside, followed closely by Dib and sat on his sofa, gesturing for the boy to sit by him.

Dib sat, now fiddling with the hem on his shirt. "I .. well, I ... Zim, I don't think you've been completely honest with me."

"About what exactly?"

"I know I've never come out and said it to your face but, you can tell how I feel about you, you know it. Ever since we've became friends, things have really changed between us and ... Well, I'm just tired of acting like my feelings are non-existent."

"I don't know what you're talking about, honestly, I mean we're just friends."

"This isn't a joke, I'm being serious."

"I'm serious, too."

"Zim, you don't understand ... I'm trying to say that ... that I'm in love with you." Dib's eyes were finally filling with tears as he said this, and in desperation he locked his arms around his friend and kissed him softly.

As the boy's lips finally met his for the first time, all of Zim's carefully woven lies and walls put up to protect himself dissolved away and crumbled. All he needed to hear the whole time was simply the truth.

The kiss broke and Zim took a shaky breath inward, reaching for Dib's hand and grasping it gently. "You're completely right, my Dib-thing. I love you too."

It is much easier to lie ... but more rewarding when you can admit the truth.


	14. Razorblade Romance

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, set after the series._

**005. friends**

_You said it would be better if we just stayed friends._

There may be a fine line between like and love, but sometimes it's more like a thread. Zim had himself convinced that he knew Dib inside and out, after all they had been after each other for years on end. But now, the Irken was starting to feel he was after the human boy in a completely different kind of way. They had each gotten older, they had each matured in their own ways. It was almost routine to be chasing after each other and then just stop short of actually doing any harm.

It just happened to be one day they were in this sort of situation when Dib finally stopped and looked at him.

"Why do we even bother any more? We both know we don't actually want to do this any longer. It's been ten years, Zim."

Zim looked at him and shrugged in a resigned sort of manner. "You're right, as usual, Dib-worm. It has been ten of your Earth years, and here we still are, fighting and yet neither of us ever win. It is pointless, logically. But in all honesty, I feel I'd have nothing else to do without you around."

"I've known that all along. After all, I feel the same way." Dib looked almost sad. "I just thought we might be able to do something more productive with our time. Or at least, something better than this."

"Like what exactly?"

"I don't know. Discover supernatural things, hack government websites, go to concerts, watch movies, play video games. I dunno. Whichever sounds fun to you."

"Fun ... fun, hm? Well, they all sound rather amusing, though some seem to have little usefulness in them to my mission. But maybe we mightaswell try to do something else."

It was from that point on that they had something of friendship. Yet, when Zim returned home, he spent most of his nights attempting to figure out what the odd sensations were that he seemed to get around Dib when they having 'fun' together. Logically, he couldn't piece together a good solution, and figured it was just a chemical reaction taking place from too much time spent on Earth, among all the humans and their impossible ideas of romance and love.

One night, he awoke and found that he had fallen asleep on the sofa next to Dib. They had been watching a movie. Now nothing was on the screen but static. Zim looked over and found the boy curled up against him. Looking down, he had the irresistible urge to press his lips to Dib's. Shaking his head gently, he thought maybe he could just ignore it, but the emotion just grew stronger as he gazed down at his friend.

He shifted very quietly and leaned over, kissing Dib gently. The boy didn't awake though. Zim pulled away and let his head drop against the sofa's soft back. He couldn't even figure out why he had done that, but he was glad Dib hadn't woken up. And he hated to admit it, but he liked the feeling of being so close to the boy, it made him feel something he hadn't before. As time went on, he found he longed to relive that one fleeting moment of inner peace again.

Zim thought he knew Dib well enough to predict his answer scientifically, so he didn't hesitate in talking the situation over with him. He rationally explained his newfound emotions and admitted to kissing Dib and wanting to again. But it turned out he was all wrong. Dib turned pale, he seemed nervous and upset. Instead, he simply said: "I think it would be better if we just stayed friends."

The human boy left that day. And Zim did see him again, but not in the way he wanted and never again in the way it had been. They simply said hello and then went on their different ways. Soon the Irken stopped bothering to come out of his house. He was left alone, curled up on his sofa. He hated love. He hated friendship. What was wrong with these humans and why did they seem to cause this pain to each other over and over? It just didn't seem worth it. The only thought that kept going through his mind was one sentence.

_Tell me then, what kind of friends never talk?_


	15. Hitsuzen

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, set after the series._

**066. romantic**

Dib stole short, small glances up at the Irken next to him. Even just sitting close to Zim filled him with a warmth that he couldn't fully put into words, not even to himself in his head. The way he smelled, the way he smiled, the small unique habits he had, all of it was burned into Dib's memory. It had only been a short time since they became friends, but he already felt like there was something more there. It wasn't logical, it was ridiculous, but he never felt more nervous, more happy, more relaxed, more any feeling at all than when he was with the Irken. His life hadn't been easy by any means, he still felt like he was completely misunderstood by everyone around him. But so was Zim, and in that, he found a common ground with his former enemy. They were both incomplete, and somehow they needed each other to fill that emptiness.

Reaching across the table they were sitting at, Dib simply grabbed the Irken's hand and looked into his eyes, a smile spreading across his features. Zim was surprised at first but his expression softened and almost like something magical, he leaned forward and let their lips meet. They didn't need any complicated awkward words to express their mutual attraction. They just needed that one simple kiss.

The boy let his forehead rest against Zim's as the kiss broke and he could only think, '_how romantic_.'


	16. Shattered

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, set after the series._

**003. ends**

Not sure why he had even bothered to show up, the Irken pulled the scarf around his neck tighter and stared at the dim autumn sky. It was extremely chilly. Leaves swirled around him in the bitter wind. Yet still he sat on top of the picnic bench, waiting. He held a folded piece of paper in his hand, and his pointed fingers were leaving creases in it as he shivered.

He was waiting for Dib, that accursed filthy earth-worm. The same stupid, pathetic human he had somehow gotten the notion to bother wasting his time on. But life seemed extremely different in the spring. Very different. Everything was bright, alive, new. His feelings were certain and so were Dib's. Now everything was a mess -- broken, crushed and muddled on the floor. Misunderstandings and confusion just led to more drama and strife between them. Nothing ever got cleared up and bad feelings and grudges simply drug on, eating away at them both. He lie on his sofa at night, ignoring Gir's sad pleadings to him. Eventually his robot companion would give up and drift off in despair.

Give up, that's what Dib was doing. Giving up. The Irken wanted to hang in there, he wanted to keep the relationship going, but things never worked out that way. Now he had come to hate the one person that he loved. The only person he loved. Rotten humans, infecting him with their romantic nonsense. It was all pointless drivel that he never needed.

This was the very last straw, and he sat, waiting. The sun went farther down. The twilight grew deeper. The chill increased. And still he sat, breathing deeply into his scarf, unable to feel his legs any longer. Finally, as he gazed up at the crescent moon, he sighed, fighting back the unbidden tears that came to his eyes.

So this was the Dib-thing's answer to his plea that they come together to talk everything out just one more time. Maybe they could salvage what was left of their love. No, no. It was all gone. Faded away just like the spring they had spent together. Just like the dying leaves on the trees ... the dead ones under his feet as he stood.

Zim crumpled up the paper in his hand and tossed it aside on the ground, walking stiffly away without a backward glance.

_Loving someone is the most wasteful feeling of all._


	17. Mistakes

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, based from my fic "Hear You Me"; but can be enjoyed regardless of having been read._

**018. accident**

Zim paced in the waiting room nervously. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. None of it. One would think he did but ... Shaking his head, he sat down in a chair for about two seconds before springing up again and resuming his pacing. All these years he had been chasing his enemy and he seemingly got what he wanted.

Instead all he felt inside was empty. He never really did realize what not having Dib around would mean. He never thought too hard about how much he actually depended on the human boy. He thought the Dib-thing was invincible, a clock that continuously would keep on ticking, someone who would keep chasing him until they both destroyed each other, or the world exploded, or someone won.

Did Zim win? Did he really? Because if this was what winning felt like, then he would rather have lost. At this point he didn't even know if Dib was going to live. Much less be able to chase him again. Finally sinking into a defeated slump on the floor, the new feeling of guilt washed completely over Zim.

It was an accident. He had not meant for this happen. He had not meant to be the one who made Dib end up here in this cold, white sterile place. It was just something else he had screwed up.

Zim rested his head in his hands and choked back unwanted tears that threatened to spill over.

How do you fix something that you never truly wanted to make happen?

Especially when that thing was something you assumed you actually wanted to achieve.

How ridiculously ironic.


	18. Here For You

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, based upon my fic "Hear You Me"; but can be enjoyed regardless of having been read._

**069. safe**

Almost asleep, Dib was dimly aware of soft footsteps coming up the stairs. Instead of getting up to find out who or what it was, he rolled over. He was exhausted. He had been up forever online, working on a project. He heard his door creak open and yet still he didn't move. Not even when he felt the sheets being moved and someone climb in behind him. He sighed happily to himself actually, as he felt a familiar warmth press against his back and an arm wrap around his side.

Zim snuggled gently into his back. The Irken smelled like he usually did but also like the night air, like the damp grass outside after the rainstorm earlier in the evening. Dib felt Zim grasp at his shirt and press against him more, catching his breath. He had apparently ran most of the way to Dib's, if not the whole way.

Sleepily, Dib rolled over, draping his arm around his boyfriend and kissing his forehead. "You okay?"

"I'm-- I'm fine, Dib-thing. Now that I'm here anyway." The Irken's lips met Dib's for a moment and then Zim simply snuggled up to him again, only wanting to be in the human boy's embrace.

"Okay." Dib said. He still wasn't really awake. This wasn't the first time Zim had randomly ran to his house and crawled into his bed. Zim never wanted to discuss the reasons why the next morning, he usually just used the excuse that he felt like coming over. But Dib figured that maybe even Zim had his doubts and fears about life, about the world. Even about his existence. That maybe under that egotistical, unflinching exterior, there was someone who was not strong. He felt somewhat honored that the Irken showed this vulnerability to him ... that he trusted him that much.

Dib's eyes felt heavy and they began to close again as he was seduced into comfortable sleep in his boyfriend's arms. Somewhere through the haze, he heard a soft whisper.

_"This is the only place I can really feel safe."_


	19. Just Friends

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, set after the series._

**042. hidden**

Dib lay his head down next to his laptop on the picnic table. He watched a line of ants go slowly marching past it across the table, ignoring the computer since it wasn't anything edible. Across the yard, his classmates were busy, shouting, playing sports -- having a good time. The voices barely reached his ears. He had been stuck in this dull, quiet, gray world for a long time. It was almost self-imposed but it was the only way to keep himself in one piece. To keep from feeling that frozen feeling inside, or the shattered one that was worse.

Without warning, it would creep up on him. A simple thing could remind him, and everything broke. That searing pain returned to the pit of his stomach. He felt sick. Quickly, he had to put up the emotional walls that protected him from this continuous torture. This pain he couldn't always prevent, and couldn't get rid of.

A flash of green ran by in the corner of his eye and he turned his gaze toward the root of all his problems.

Zim.

They had spent years chasing each other. They had become friends. And Dib found himself wanting more. It always seems to happen that way. Your friends eventually become your lovers. Now they were in college together, but nothing turned out right. They had been lovers. Once. It wasn't that long ago, but now it seemed like centuries had passed since they had walked hand in hand. He could only look at Zim's back now, and think, '_He was mine once. He loved me once._'

What had happened? What had changed? When Dib tried to remember, the memories were just blurred pictures of fights and misunderstandings -- and it was just more pain to try to figure out what went wrong. He wished he could put his finger on it. He wasn't sure even who to blame. Sometimes he blamed himself ... sometimes he blamed Zim. Usually he just cursed the circumstances, but who cares? It never changed the fact that he couldn't fix what had happened, and he could never go back to how it had been. Dib had tried a few times ... but it all came to nothing.

They remained friends somehow, but it didn't cure the ache that still welled up inside the human boy when they were together. It was always there, lurking softly in the background, eating away at what was left of his heart. Most people curse what could have been. Instead Dib cursed what had been. And the fact that he would never have that love again.

Zim walked by the table again, smiling friendly at Dib. He was arm in arm with the new object of his affections. The human boy managed a weak smile in return. He was always supportive, always unwavering in his attempt to seem happy for his best friend.

But it was just more lies. The second Zim passed, his look became blank again. The Irken was clueless to what was happening inside, behind his seemingly happy eyes when they talked.

Dib let the pain remain hidden; knowing that Zim would never be able to understand or feel any of it.


	20. What I'm Not Saying

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, as usual._

**059. jealousy**_  
_

No matter how many times Zim went over the details in his head, he couldn't sort out or understand what was going on. Of course, it had to be the Dib-thing, the human scum that was causing this problem, this problem that not even he, the almighty Zim, could figure out. He tapped his fingers against the table anxiously, grumbling in annoyance. It's not like he really had anyone he could ask either. Gir definitely wouldn't understand. He looked over at his robot accomplice, who was spinning in circles in the corner of the kitchen, humming something tuneless to himself, and occasionally shouting out something about race cars. The Irken smiled in spite of himself momentarily before returning mentally to the problem at hand.

"Master, if I may suggest a solution to your problem ... " Zim's computer interrupted his thoughts.

"What is it?" Zim glared somewhere up towards the ceiling.

"It sounds like you're experiencing a human emotion called jealousy."

"Jealousy?! What--"

"It is defined as a complex emotion that combines insecurity and fear over an imagined or expected loss of something that the person values. These things may be something like a friendship or even love."

"Friendship? Love? No no." Zim chuckled to himself. "Over the Dib-thing? I don't think so, computer. You must be malfunctioning again."

"If you say so, Master." The computer huffed before becoming silent again.

"I am not _friends_ with the bighead boy. And I most certainly do not l-- ... do not feel any sort of human emotion towards him unless it is one of hate." Zim said out loud, his voice wavering in his vain attempt at convincing himself and the computer that that was truly how he felt.

Yet, the more he thought about it, the more he thought that maybe this might be true. The weird, foreign feeling always came creeping up on him when the Dib-thing was distracted by something that was not entirely involved in hunting down the Irken. It happened whenever the Dib tried to search for other monsters and aliens instead of him, even when the Dib just went somewhere with Gaz, or did his homework. If it didn't have anything to do with him, the feeling rushed through him furiously, with an intensity that he couldn't understand.

He was jealous. He was jealous over the fact that someday, the human boy might get tired of Zim and move on. And their relationship, even though he was positive it was one of hate, would be erased completely. Then what would he do?

Zim was shocked when he realized he didn't have an answer.


	21. Gravitation

**A/N**: _Slightly AU, as usual._

**086. choices**_  
_

There are choices one must make in life ... but to be completely honest; Dib didn't exactly choose his boyfriend. Well, that's how he felt about it anyway. He used to hate his boyfriend, actually. They were bitter rivals constantly on the verge of destroying each other. But time marched on, and they both grew a little mentally. They both learned more about life and heartache. And somehow their twisted obsession with each other became something much more.

And eventually, Dib realized he could love his rival with an intensity that matched or even surpassed his former hate. Yet, he still concluded (in a scientific manner almost) that he did not choose his Irken boyfriend. It wasn't a simple matter of choice; of cause and effect; of a hypothesis with a final solution. It wasn't something science - or anything in the supernatural world could explain.

As he lay next to Zim in his bed; he opened his eyes and looked to the Irken, studying him with his eyes. Zim had made Dib think more about life, more about things like fate or that everything happens for a reason. Whatever drew them together was like a force that was uncontrollable. Like gravity.

Dib smiled at his Irken and thought that regardless ... he would have chosen Zim as his boyfriend anyway. By this point, he couldn't even imagine being with anyone else. The alien had filled something inside him, something that was missing. And he finally felt whole.

The human boy kissed his sleeping boyfriend on the lips and smiled in spite of himself. He knew all his pondering was irrelevant ... for he didn't care why it was that Zim had ended up by his side. All he cared about was the fact that Zim was there.


	22. Pumpkin Spice

**A/N**: _AU, as usual._

**064. fall**

Dib stood on Zim's stoop, waiting in the chilly air for his boyfriend to finally come out of his house.

"C'mon Zim," he called back inside. "You don't look stupid. Just come out."

"Are you sure those trick-er-treater children aren't actually going to try to suck my blood?"

"No, Zim. They're not." Dib sighed.

The Irken cautiously stepped outside, glancing around at the children running up and the street in various strange outfits, which Dib had explained were costumes.

"They're just after candy."

"I like candy!" Gir's excited voice called from somewhere near Zim, who still hadn't shut the door.

"We know .. that's why you're staying inside this Halloween." frowned Dib, adjusting his glasses.

"Awwww … hey! Scary monkey show is on! Wheeee ..." The robot's voice slowly faded as he skipped away to watch the TV.

Frustrated a little with Zim's reluctance, Dib pulled him all the way outside and shut the door. "Let's go, all the good houses are gonna be out of candy at this rate!"

The Irken clutched tightly onto the pillowcase Dib had given him, and firmly plastered a look of confidence on his face. Only his tight grip on the cloth gave him away. The human boy had dressed him up like something called a pirate, and even though they had watched various movies together about pirates, he still wasn't quite sure what it was. Only that it looked interesting and it involved stabbing humans and stealing from them, which was always a fun thing to do.

Dib reached over and squeezed his hand before they got to their first house. The night was still cool, but not too cold, and the dead leaves crunched under their feet as they walked up the sidewalk. The human boy was also dressed as a pirate to match Zim. Not exactly a scary choice, but maybe they could do scary next year, when Zim wasn't still trembling over the other kids running around in costumes. It amused him that the always brave Zim was scared of poorly made outfits and plastic masks. But in it's own way, it was also endearing to him.

With a quick smile, he gently knocked on the door in front of them, thinking to himself that he couldn't wait to spend next fall with Zim .. and all the Halloweens to come.


	23. I'll Let It Go

**A/N**: _AU, as usual._

**071. broken**

How strange is it that emotions can change so quickly? So rapidly that you're left attempting to grasp for reason; attempting to hold onto something that's no longer there. Any apologies are utterly empty.

"After all, how could he possibly feel this pain?" Zim muttered to himself. "How could he understand it?"

Now, he was the one left with nothing, left with an inability to find a solution or even a cause to the outcome of his relationship with Dib.

How almost magical it had seemed when they fell in love, that two enemies could transform into two lovers. It wasn't something either of them had even been looking for. It was completely unexpected.

Standing now, Zim paced the living room. He knew he should be focusing on something else, something distracting instead of dwelling on a thing that was no more. But how could he help it?

One month, Dib was saying he wanted to move in, and they were making plans for the future. And now, seemingly out of nowhere, the entire world had turned upside down. Were they lies? Everytime Dib had touched him, had kissed him? Were they all just lies? What else could he think? Zim dug his fingers into his palm. Anger seemed to dominate him again. He'd changed thanks to Dib, sure. But what meaning did that have now? His reason for changing had discarded him. Dib had run away, as fast as he could, forsaking and ruining all they ever had. Over what even? The vague idea behind it was still cloudy to the Irken.

His Dib-thing was gone, never to return. He could never get back what they had. But at this point, he didn't want it back. Any of it.

It's the easiest thing in the world to run. To break something and leave it behind. So easy and so selfish. He didn't care what lies Dib told himself so he could sleep at night. Zim saw him for what he was. A liar and a coward. Too scared to face anything real. So he crushed their relationship, crushed Zim between his fingers and left with false apologies.

No, there was nothing left now. Zim's fingers dug deeper into his hand. He was more determined than ever before, though, to build something out of this nothing. And his life, himself; they would no longer be broken.


End file.
